tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post110936885278351610..comments2024-03-05T05:38:22.024-05:00Comments on Left at the Gate: Notes: Feb 25Alan Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12570505944559196118noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8711985.post-1109390676464384682005-02-25T23:04:00.000-05:002005-02-25T23:04:00.000-05:00hey ckck94-
interesting question you raise re. d...hey ckck94-<br /> interesting question you raise re. don't get mad -- just as you suggested, i've always figured that a closer is at a disadvantage with a slow pace, mainly because the front-end horse is left with enough in the tank to hold off the late-runner -- in such a situation, it's always better to get the 1st jump. but free's point is worth following up on to the extent that if a closer isn't at least able to stay in some kind of contention when the pace starts picking up (as it surely will in the next 2 months), then that closer won't be a factor at crunch time. toward that end, one of the things i keep an eye on are the turn times -- as an indicator of a horse's ability to make a big move to contention. if don't get mad had merely made a decent late move but struggled to pass the front-runners, i wouldn't have taken notice -- it was the way he seemed to blow past everyone through the wire that visually impressed me. let's watch where he goes from here -- as a test case for the free-hypothesis.<br />11th hourAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com